The central government and the Catalan government say that the commuter rail service will resume tomorrow and will be free for a month.

BarcelonaThe Catalan and Spanish governments have announced that the commuter rail network will be almost fully operational again starting tomorrow, Monday, at 6:00 a.m. The resumption comes after a very difficult week, marked by numerous disruptions to train service and communication problems with the public on the part of both the administration and the service operator, Renfe. According to the Catalan government, the resumption will be partial, prioritizing lines that carry the most passengers. The Minister of Territory and spokesperson for the Catalan government, Sílvia Paneque, also announced that the service will be free for one month, both for trains and alternative transportation.

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Specifically, Paneque and the Secretary of State for Transport, José Antonio Santano—who has been handling media relations at the Generalitat offices—have confirmed that five lines will be fully operational: the R2 South, the R2 North, the R8, the R16, and the R17 (Barcelona-Port Aventura). The authorities' announcement also includes the resumption of service on the R1 for most of its route: it will operate between Hospitalet de Llobregat and Blanes. The section between Tordera and Maçanet-Massanes—where there was a landslide that caused no injuries—will be served by a road transport service.

In the case of the R4 line – the line affected by the collapse of a retaining wall onto the tracks, which resulted in one death and 37 injuries – the Catalan Government has stated that virtually all service will be restored, as it will operate from Terrassa to Martorell Central and from Sant Sadurní to Sant Vicent de Calders. However, between Manresa and Terrassa and between Martorell and Sant Sadurní, passengers will need to travel by bus.

The government acknowledged that some sections and lines will still require additional alternative transportation, but insisted that 87% of regular train users will be able to return to using the Cercanías commuter rail network. For the remaining 13%, the government assures that buses will be provided to ensure road access. Regarding the lines that will not yet be able to operate for safety reasons, the Government has reported that there are no changes to the R3, which will remain closed due to the track widening works, and passengers will have to use buses as before from the beginning to the end of the route. There will also be an alternative transport plan on the RL4, between Cervera and Manresa; on the R11 there will be a bus between Figueres and Portbou; on the R13, between Vinaixa and Sant Vicenç de Calders; the same will apply to the R14 between Reus and Vinaixa, and to the R15, between Reus and Ribarroja de Ebro. Paneque has announced additional measures to cover the affected routes and facilitate the mobility of users. Thus, there will be four Avant trains – two in each direction – stopping in Lleida, Camp de Tarragona, and Barcelona-Sants. These will be free, but reservations will be required. There will also be 150 buses to cover the closed sections (up from 159 this past weekend). Until Wednesday, Barcelona's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) remains suspended, and the toll barriers on the C-32 in Garraf will remain raised.

Timetable Problems

The Catalan government has maintained that there are currently "the necessary safety and reliability guarantees" to resume service, although it has noted that the network was shut down for 48 hours and there may be some disruptions to the schedules. Paneque explained that halting rail service "was not an easy decision" for the government "knowing the impact" it has on the lives of the 400,000 daily users of the network. "But it was a decision that had to be made, responsibly, for the citizens," he insisted. The Secretary of State for Transport also participated in Sunday's press conference, speaking for the first time about the rail crisis in Catalonia, which completely halted commuter, regional, and medium-distance train service three times in just one week. On Saturday, the Catalan government and the rail operators left Catalonia... No trains this Sunday No trains have run. The Catalan government justified the decision by citing the severe effects of the storm on railway infrastructure—exacerbated by years of underinvestment—and because inspection and maintenance work could be carried out more effectively with the network shut down. Another problem this week was the strike by train drivers, who refused to work and brought service to a standstill. According to Santano, an agreement has been reached with the train drivers' union, Semaf, and Adif has signed a procedure "that certifies the operational status of the tracks," with the introduction of an independent, qualified technician. That evening, the union issued a statement asserting that train drivers "always" showed up for work and that they will monitor compliance with the agreement with Adif and Renfe to guarantee the safety of the network. According to the union, the workers have followed labor regulations and Renfe's rules, especially regarding safety measures, with the aim of guaranteeing the safety of train drivers and passengers.

Approximately twenty actions

The Secretary of State for Transport has insisted on linking the rail mobility problems to the storm. Harry —in fact, he avoided mentioning the chronic underinvestment in the system as the cause, but did defend his government's "investment effort"— and recounted the details of the work carried out by Adif that allows the restoration of rail service for "80% of Catalan society" and guarantees its "safety." "The institutions are working [...], it's true there have been coordination problems, but we have overcome them," he stressed, and assured that they would put "the means in place to ensure it doesn't happen again." Santano pointed out that the State has reviewed 69 points with medium-high and high risk in railway environments and embankments, of which a third (23) required an "emergency" with "immediate action" to avoid dangers. This speed, he said, contrasts with the usual procedure that would involve the planning of a routine project. To resolve the incidents, the state-owned company has mobilized 150 people, but starting tomorrow there will be 330. A few hours before the press conference, Adif, the state-owned railway infrastructure manager, reported that its technicians have carried out more than one hundred inspections in the area to assess resources and take action at the 23 critical points at risk of landslides or accidents. Specifically, elements such as slopes, tunnels, bridges, platforms, and tracks have been evaluated to ensure the safety of the network after the storms of recent weeks.

The twenty or so projects have been carried out on seven of the thirteen railway lines that cross the country, but primarily on sections near the coast. Specifically, five of the projects were completed in Barcelona, ​​five in Girona, nine in Tarragona, and four in Lleida. Adif emphasized that the work to rehabilitate the slope on the R1 line, above the track between Tordera and Maçanet, which collapsed on Friday and led to a complete service shutdown, is now finished. In fact, Santano explained that on the R1 line, near Badalona, ​​a riprap embankment was replaced with material that had fallen from the seafront promenade; and on the R2 line, in the Garraf region, the trench at the entrance to a tunnel was "protected and stabilized" with netting to prevent further rockfalls.

In parallel, Santano announced that a working group will be created with the Catalan government, which will include the Spanish Railway Safety Agency, to address the impact of climate change on Adif's infrastructure in Catalonia.

Controls and patrols

Adif also indicates that it has deployed security personnel to report "immediately" any "anomalies" that may affect the service. Meanwhile, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) have intensified preventative patrols in the areas where commuter trains are located until service is restored. They aim to minimize damage and vandalism. In addition, the police are conducting checks at bus stops set up as an alternative to rail transport. The force has highlighted the "few incidents" regarding mobility in recent hours and states that coordination with other stakeholders, both in security and traffic matters, is "continuous and seamless."